Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42133260›Full record

ArticleJournal of occupational rehabilitation2026

Strengthening the IPS Workforce: Designing a Competency-Based IPS Workforce Development Framework for Headspace Centres in Australia.

Marina Kunin, Gina Chinnery, Jo van Twest Farmer, James Whiting, Eóin Killackey

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Article in Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Marina KuninCentre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. mkunin@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8749-1134
Gina ChinneryOrygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia.
Jo van Twest FarmerJo Farmer Consulting, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3207-1212
James WhitingOrygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia.
Eóin KillackeyCentre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9649-5551

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis project aimed to develop the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Workforce Development Framework to address challenges in IPS workforce availability, capacity, and capability in headspace centres across Australia, with the goal of improving vocational recovery outcomes for young people with mental ill-health.

methodsA mixed-methods approach informed the development of an IPS Competency Framework and an aligned IPS Workforce Development Framework. Data were collected through workforce surveys, focus groups, interviews, and a literature review. Participants included IPS vocational specialists, supervisors, headspace centre and lead agency managers, and experts from the broader vocational and IPS sectors. A comprehensive options paper and Theory of Change guided the design of the IPS Competency Framework and IPS Workforce Development Framework.

resultsThe workforce assessment revealed capability gaps, variations in recruitment practices, concerns about career pathways, and staff retention issues. Considerable diversity in vocational specialists' backgrounds and experience, along with a lack of clearly defined competencies for the role, was also apparent. In response, an IPS Competency Framework was developed outlining six core competency domains and four foundational values necessary for IPS vocational specialists working with young people with mental ill-health. The IPS Workforce Development Framework defines flexible, scalable strategies such as training and credentialing, peer-to-peer learning, strengthening recruitment processes, and career pathways, aligned to the identified competencies.

conclusionThe competency-based IPS Workforce Development Framework offers a comprehensive, system-level response to workforce challenges and marks an important step towards strengthening the IPS workforce in Australia. Ongoing evaluation will be essential to refine its implementation and improve IPS delivery for young people.

Indexed as

Competency frameworkIndividual placement and support (IPS)System-level workforce planningVocational supportWorkforce developmentYouth mental health

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.